Various embodiments of the present invention relates to a sliding roof system including a pair of guide rails, a slide in each guide rail, the slide being displaceably mounted therein, a functional component which is displaceably received in the guide rail and can be fixed in a defined position by means of a latching hook, the latching hook being shiftable between a release position and a latching position, the latching hook when in the latching position engaging in an opening of the guide rail, and a cover which can be opened from a closed position by displacement of the slide, a retaining lever being provided which can mechanically hold the latching hook in the latching position.
The latching hook serves to releasably fix the functional component that is displaceable in the guide rail at a particular place. In this condition, the functional component can, for example, lock a raising mechanism in a defined position. When the latching hook is in its release position again, the functional component can be shifted in the guide rail again to move to an initial position, for example, or in order not to be in the way of other components during the displacement thereof.
In the operation of such a sliding roof, a thrust load develops when there is a change in the direction of travel, such thrust load being directly transferred to the component to which the latching hook is mounted. This may cause a moment to be transmitted to the latching hook. While the latching hook typically is spring-loaded so that it reliably remains within its latching opening, this moment is considered to be undesirable if it acts on the latching hook. Accordingly and in one non-limiting embodiment, it is desirable to provide a sliding roof system that prevents or mitigates the aforementioned undesirable moment.